Vertically reciprocable receiving apparatus



M. O. MILLER Dec. 21, 1965 VERTICALLY RECIPROCABLE RECEIVING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 30, 1964 FIG. I

INVENTOR MAEV/N 0. M/LLEI? 74., lbw

DEC/(2 Dec. 21, 1965 M. o. MILLER 3,224,379

VERTIGALLY RECIPROCABLE RECEIVING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 30, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 M. O. MILLER VERTICALLY RECIPROCABLE RECEIVING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 30, 1964 Dec. 21, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 5 G I F INVENTOR. MAPV/N 0. MILLER United States Patent 3,224,379 VERTICALLY RECIPROCABLE RECEIVING APPARATUS Marvin 0. Miller, El Cerrito, Calif., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed Jan. 30, 1964, Ser. No. 341,471 9 Claims. (Cl. 104114) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

The present invention relates generally to material conveying and handling apparatus and, more particularly, to apparatus for receiving objects transferred from one underway ship to another during a so-called replenishment at sea operation.

A replenishment at sea operation is one in which a delivering or supply ship transfers loads or objects such as cargo, ammunition, missiles, etc. to a receiving ship which usually is of a smaller, combatant-type. The operation itself is accomplished by means of suspension lines strung between the two ships.

One commonly-used rig is known as the tensioned highline in which a so-called highline couples the twoships and supports a trolley. Out-haul and in-haul lines also are employed, each of these normally being secured to the trolley so as to pull the trolley to one or the other of the ships. The load is carried by the trolley and, as the name implies, the highline provides the tension control for maintaining a desired tautness during a. transfer operation.

Such operations present a number of complicating factors such as the need for accurate tension control quickly responsive to the random motions to which the separated ships are subjected. However, as far as the present invention is involved the major interest is with regard to the handling of the trolley and its load once it has been delivered to a receiving or combatant-type ship. Relative to this handling of the trolley, it first will be appreciated that the trolley is transferred and received at an elevated position, this requirement resulting from the advisability of stringing the highline at a substantial height above the intervening water level. Consequently, at the receiving ship, the load must be lowered from its elevated position for further handling. In the past, this lowering of the load has been accomplished either manually or by a provision of some rather makeship equipment, the result being that considerable delays have been interposed in the replenishment at sea operation cycle. Such delays are not acceptable in modern day practices. Also, the prior handling practices at the receiving ship have not been consistent with the best safety practices in that the heavy and dangerous loads mostly have been detached from the trolley at an elevated level and the means for I lowering the load have not provided the safety and accuracy as desired. In this regard, it will be appreciated that loads, such as ammunition cargo, permit no margin of error. Further, it is most desirable to lower such ,1

loads to a precise location to facilitate further handling at the deck level.

It might also be noted that the same problems in handling elevated loads exists at the delivering ship and that special apparatus has been provided for use on these ships. In particular, the apparatus is of a type which receives the trolley in a special cradle and which then acts in the manner of an elevator to carry both the trolley and its load from its elevated position to the deck level. Such equipment has been successfully used and is obviously an advantageous concept in that it not only speeds up the operation but it avoids the hazards incident to detachment or attachment of the load at an elevated level. However, the apparatus is quite heavy, large, expensive and complicated in its function and, although these factors may be acceptable for delivering ship design, the same cannot be said for receiving ship design. Thus, delivering ships have replenishment at sea as a major mission so that the size, weight and expense of their equipment is relatively less important. On the other hand, combatant ships have very critical weight and space considerations and comparable apparatus used on these ships must include these factors as primary considerations.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a simplified, relatively light weight, inexpensive and fast-operating apparatus for use by a replenishing receiving ship.

A further object is to provide similar apparatus capable of handling the transferred loads with maximum safety and accuracy.

Another object related to the foregoing objects is to provide a receiving ship apparatus capable of receiving the load and lowering the load accurately to a predetermined deck location without an intervening necessity of detaching the load from the trolley at an elevated position.

A further object related to the last object is the provision of apparatus capable of lowering the trolley to a deck level for securement thereto of a load and also capable of raising the trolley to its elevated position for transfer.

Other objects and their attendant advantages will become more apparent in the ensuing description which is to follow.

The objects of the present invention generally are achieved by utilizing what is generally known as a sliding pad-eye type of apparatus, although as will become apparent, the sliding movement of the pad-eye, most suitably, is a rollable movement. The term pad-eye is employed in a broad sense in that the structure designated by it is a block to which the tension highline and the outhaul line of highline rig are attached. The apparatus itself includes a vertical column mounted on the receiving ship for rotation about its vertical axis, the column carrying a radially-extending track along which the pad-eye reciprocates. Also, the rotatable column itself preferably carries driving means for raising and lowering the pad-eye and, most suitably, these means include a winch driven line extending vertically from a winch along the rotational axis of the column and then around a sheave at the upper end of the column into a secure attachment with the pad-eye itself. In operation, the pad-eye is elevated to the top of the column and the out-haul line of the highline rig is driven to move the trolley and its load from the delivering ship up to the pad-eye. The mechanism for reciprocating the pad-eye then may be operated to lower both the pad-eye and the trolley.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus showing the pad-eye both in elevated and a lowered position;

FIG. 2 is a section taken along line IIII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of the sliding block mechanism shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a section along line IV-lV of FIG. 3;'and

FIG. 5 is a view in elevation of a drive box located at the base of the vertical column.

Referring to FIG. 1, the major components of the present apparatus include a vertical support stanchion I having upper and lower laterally-projecting flanges 2 and 3 between which is rotatably mounted a column 4, the column being provided with a radially-extending rail 6 along which a pad-eye or sliding block 7 vertically reciprocates. The entire apparatus customarily would be located on one or both sides of the ship and, if the ship includes special lift or a particular handling area, the column would be positioned directly over this lift or area. Also, stanchion 1 may be rigidly attached to the superstructure of the ship by suitable flanges 8.

When the apparatus is physically set up for a replenishment at sea operation, the rigging includes a highline 9 and an outhaul line 11. Highline 9 is secured to pad-eye 7, the pad-eye preferably being provided with a flange 12 for this purpose. In particular, a link 13 is used to couple flange 12 to the highline and a keying pin 14 secures the coupling. It has been found to be good practice to utilize a swivel in this coupling to permit the highline to readily untwist when it is tensioned.

Out-hall line 11 passes over a sheave 16 carried by a housing 17 which also is secured by a link and pin coupling 15 to another flange 18 carried by the sliding block or pad-eye. Out-haul line 11 may terminate on a motordriven winch (not shown) and this winch may be located either on the receiving or the delivering ship.

Of course, highline 9 and out-haul line 11 both proceed from receiving ship to the supply or delivering ship.

Also, highline 9 is tensioned to provide support for a trolley 22 which, as will be appreciated, actually supports the load being transferred. Trolley 22 customarily is provided with rollers (not shown) riding the highline, while out-haul line 11 is secured to each side of the trolley so that it can be pulled from one ship to the other. Also, highline 9 mounts a stop mechanism 23 that arrests the trolley a spaced distance from the pad-eye or sliding block.

In operation, the tension of highline 9 supports the trolley and its load and appropriate mechanism customarily is included on the delivering ship not only to maintain the desired tension but also to vary the tension in accordance with random tension variations produced by the pitching and rolling of the ships or changes of the relative speeds or separation distances of the ships. Another factor that must be contended with is that one ship may fall astern or go ahead of the other with the result that the lines, in effect, stretch at an angle between the ships. In this regard, it is to be noted that any mechanism that receives the trolley also should be capable of swinging about a vertical axis so as to align or orient itself with the angle of the highline as it spans the distance between the ships.

Considering the details of the major components already identified, it first may be noted that column 4 preferably is tubular (FIG. 2), although at its upper end it is capped by a cover member 26 which, as may be noted, is a short length of tubing having the cap portion 30 at its upper end. Cap 30 is formed to receive a pivot pin 27 carried by upper flange 2 of stanchion 1 and, in a conventional manner the central opening of cover 26 is provided with appropriate bearing surfaces to facilitate rotational movement of the column about the vertical axis of pin 27.

At the lower end of cover member 26 is a flange 2611 which provides a support area for mounting a housing sheave 28. A sheave 29 is rotatably carried by this housing.

The lower end of tubular column 4 is rotatably supported on another pivot pin 31 carried by flange 3 of the support stanchion 1. However, pin 31, instead of di rectly engaging the column, is received in a bottom wall of a drive box 32 which, itself, is carried at the lower end of column 4.

To raise and lower pad-eye or sliding block 7, drive box 32 carries a drum 33 (FIG. On which is wound a cable 34 which extends upwardly through the hollow interior of column 4 and around sheave 29 into a secured engagement with a flange 36 carried on the upper wall of the sliding block. In particular, it is to be noted that drum 33 is rotatably carried by column 4 and that cable 34 extends essentially in line with the rotatable axis of the column so that it can remain in an untwisted disposition during any rotation to which the column may be subjected.

The drive for cable 34 includes a motor 37 (FIG. 5) supported in one side wall of the drive box, the motor driving a pinion 38 appropriately meshed with a gear 39 formed on drum 33. Although not a part of the present invention, it also is desirable to incorporate a brake mechanism which, in FIG. 5, is generally designated by numeral 41. The type of brake mechanism employed is a discretional matter although it is preferred that the mechanism be carried in drive box 32. Other engineering details which are not illustrated may include appropriate limit switches and buffer mechanisms to control the reciprocable movements of block 7, although, as far as the present invention is concerned, these elements are optional.

The details of sliding block 7 are presented in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4. Referring to FIG. 2, the block itself is mounted on a pair of rails 6 carried by column 4, each of the rails 6 being L-shaped and having an outwardlyextending flange 43 with side surfaces 44 and 46 and an end surface 47.

Also, the rails are carried by a central web 48 carried by the column, the rails themselves being bolted to the web.

Sliding block 7 is a box structure carrying roller arrangements at each of its corners. As seen, each of these roller arrangements includes a pair of side rollers 51 and 52 mounted in suitable bearings provided on the side walls of the block structure, and an end roller 53 carried by brackets 54. End rollers 53 guide the box along end surfaces 47 of the rails, while side rollers 51 and 52 rollably engage side surface 44 and 46 of the rail to maintain the sliding block in a stable disposition during its reciprocation.

In operation, the receiving ship prepares to receive cargo or other loads from the supply or delivering ship by first driving the pad-eye-supporting cable 34 in a clockwise direction to wind the cable on drum 33 and thereby to raise sliding block 7 to its illustrated, full-line elevated position (FIG. 1). Prior to accomplishing this task, however, the highline and out-haul line, which have been passed to the receiving ship in conventional manners, are secured to the sliding block in the described manner. The out-haul line then may be driven to cause trolley 22 to move from the delivering ship to stop 23 carried by highline 9. During this transfer movement it is anticipated the relative positions of the ships may change and, if such occurs, sliding block 7 can orient itself to the forward or aft position of the delivering ship by swinging about the vertical axis of its tubular column 4. The tension of highline 9 pulling on the sliding block is sufiicient to cause the block to properly orient itself. This factor is of substantial importance since it causes the block to constantly track the incoming load.

After the trolley has been brought into engagement with stop 23, the motor of cable drum 33 may be reversed to pay out cable 34 and cause the sliding block to lower along its track 6. The fact that the descent of the load is absolutely controlled by the engagement of sliding block 7 on rail 6 assures a proper positioning of the load on the deck at a desired location.

It will be appreciated that the apparatus has been described principally with regard to its function in receiving loads from a delivering ship. However, the apparatus is useful in returning loads from the receiving ship to the delivering ship. The load then can be secured to the trolley when the sliding block and the trolley are at a lowered position. Consequently, there is no need either in receiving or delivering of the load to physically transfer the support of heavy and dangerous loads at an elevated level. Other advantages reside in the unusual simplicity of the entire arrangement. Compared with other arrangements, the apparatus is quite small, inexpensive, and light, these factors rendering it suitable for use on combatant-type ships. The rotatable column andits support stanchion occupy a minimum amount of space and may be made of rather light construction. 7

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for receiving and handling trolley-supported objects transferred to a station on a tensioned highline and out-haul line, the apparatus comprising:

a vertical column carried at said station for rotation about its longitudinal axis,

rail means rotatably carried by said column and extending continuously substantially its full functional length,

pad-eye means mounted for longitudinally-reciprocable movement along said rail means, and

means for reciprocating said pad-eye,

said pad-eye being provided with means for securing said highline whereby the pad-eye rotatably orients itself in said highline direction and the pad-eye further mounting coupling means for said out-haul line whereby said trolley can be pulled into close proximity with the pad-eye for lowering and raising the trolley-supported load.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further including trolleyarresting means adapted to be carried by said highline a spaced distance from said pad-eye.

3. Apparatus for receiving and handling trolley-supported objects transferred to a station on a tensioned highline and out-haul line, the apparatus comprising:

a vertical column carried at said station for rotation about its longitudinal axis,

rail means rotatably carried by said column and extending continuously substantially its full functional length,

pad-eye means mounted for longitudinally-reciprocable movement along said rail means,

a sheave carried at the upper end of said column,

driven winch drum means carried at the lower end of the column,

a line extending over said sheave and coupling said pad-eye to said drum, and

means for driving said drum to reciprocate said padeye means,

said pad-eye being provided with means for securing said highline whereby the pad-eye rotatably orients itself in said highline direction and the pad-eye further mounting coupling means for said out-haul line whereby said trolley can be pulled into close proximity with the pad-eye for lowering and raising the trolley-supported load with the pad-eye.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said column is hollow and said line extends through said hollow column in substantial alignment with its longitudinal axis of rotation.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said drum and drum-driving means are mounted for rotation with said column.

6. Apparatus for receiving and handling trolley-supported objects transferred to a station on a tensioned highline and out-haul rig, comprising:

a stanchion carried at said station and provided at its upper and lower ends with outwardly-projecting flanges,

a vertical column pivotally mounted between said flanges for rotation about a vertical axis,

rail means rotatably carried by and extending radiallyoutwardly of said column substantially its full length,

pad-eye means mounted for longitudinally-reciprocable movement along said rail means,

a sheave carried at the upper end of said column,

driven winch drum means carried at the lower end of the column,

a line extending over said sheave and coupling said pad-eye to said drum, and

means for driving said drum to reciprocate said padeye means,

said pad-eye being provided with means for securing said highline whereby the pad-eye rotatably orients itself in said highline direction and the pad-eye further mounting coupling means for said out-haul line whereby said trolley can be pulled into close proximity with the pad-eye for lowering and raising the trolley-supported load with the pad-eye.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said column is hollow and said line extends through the hollow column in substantially alignment with its longitudinally axis of rotation.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said drum and drum-driving means are mounted for rotation with said column.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said rail means is formed with a pair of laterally extending flanges, and said pad-eye mounts two pairs of rollers each having parallel axes of rotation and a pair of end rollers having an axis of rotation normal to said parallel axes, each of said two pairs of rollers being spaced for engaging opposite face surfaces of one to said rail flanges and said end rollers each being disposed for engaging a side edge of one of the rail flanges.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1910 Karr l04l13 X 12/1961 Sawyer et a1. 104-114 

1. APPARATUS FOR RECEIVING AND HANDLING TROLLEY-SUPPORTED OBJECTS TRANSFERRED TO A STATION ON A TENSIONED HIGHLINE AND OUT-HAUL LINE, THE APPARATUS COMPRISING: A VERTICAL COLUMN CARRIED AT SAID STATION FOR ROTATION ABOUT ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS, RAIL MEANS ROTATABLY CARRIED BY SAID COLUMN AND EXTENDING CONTINUOUSLY SUBSTANTIALLY ITS FULL FUNCTIONAL LENGTH, PAD-EYE MEANS MOUNTED FOR LONGITUDINALLY-RECIPROCABLE MOVEMENT ALONG SAID RAILS MEANS, AND MEANS FOR RECIPROCATING SAID PAD-EYE, SAID PAD-EYE BEING PROVIDED WITH MEANS FOR SECURING SAID HIGHLINE WHEREBY THE PAD-EYE ROTATABLY ORIENTS ITSELF IN SAID HIGHLINE DIRECTION AND THE PAD-EYE FURTHER MOUNTING COUPLING MEANS FOR SAID OUT-HAUL LINE WHEREBY SAID TROLLEY CAN BE PULLED INTO CLOSE PROXIMITY WITH THE PAD-EYE FOR LOWERING AND RAISING THE TROLLEY-SUPPORTED LOAD. 